LinkedIn Pro Tip: How to add a follow button to your profile

Here's a LinkedIn tip that's come up in a few of my conversations at work lately: Some people are interested in building a LinkedIn following for their content on the platform without adding too many connections with people they don't know. LinkedIn offers both types of interaction:

• Following is a one way interaction, similar to the way Twitter and Instagram work. People can follow you without you having to approve the request
• Connection is two way interaction, similar to the way Facebook friendships work. You request a connection with someone or they request one with you. The connection is only completed when the recipient approves the request.

By default, LinkedIn shows a Connect button in a user's profile. The follow option is hidden behind a drop-down menu.

BUT, did you know there's a way to change that so that Follow is the default and Connect is the secondary option? It's buried deep within your privacy settings. Here's where to find it (updated 1-26-21 with a new screen shot):

For those of you looking for ways to build up the readership of your work, this might be a good switch to make. Connections are still important to manage and cultivate, but followers will give you broader reach.

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